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On Our Radar

Basic Materials Sector Wrap

On a trading day that saw the S&P 500 gain 1.1%, the Basic Materials sector (XLB) showed little change.

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The ETF, as a as a proxy for sector performance, was down today, but still tracked closer to the overall market than over the past week. Going into trading today, XLB was down 0.1% over the last seven trading days while the S&P 500 was down 1.1%.

Fushi Copperweld (FSIN) declined 3.5% to close at $6.56, moving below its 50-day moving average of $6.78 and 200-day moving average of $7.24.

UFP Technologies (UFPT) rose 5.3% to close at $16.32, approaching its 50-day moving average of $16.80. It has also moved closer to its 200-day moving average of $16.63. Mag Silver (NEU) fell 2.7% to close at $8.68, moving closer to its 50-day moving average of $8.57. Also, the stock moved closer to its 200-day moving average of $197.11.

China Natural Resources (CHNR) was a major loser in the sector. Its price dropped 15.8% (-95 cents) to close at $5.07, as 9,062 shares moved. The stock traded between $5.02 and $6.06.

Huntsman Corporation (HUN) was a significant gainer in the sector, rising 9.2%. The stock closed at $12.96 with 22.4 million shares moving. The stock traded in a range of $11.70 to $13.19. The share price has been dropping in the last month, down $1.80 (-12.2%) from $14.76 on May 15, 2012.

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WD-40 Company (WDFC) hit a new 52-week high today, reaching $49.43 to top the previous high of $48.74.